1.4.44 West Yorkshire Guidance for Families who are Relocating Due to Risk

1. Introduction

This guidance has been developed to support the relocation of families due to risk into or out of a local authority area, and assist agencies and professionals in supporting this process and to ensure information is shared across local authorities appropriately and safely.

We know that some families, and individuals, are living in situations whereby risk from another (either internal or external to the family unit) is such that it may place their lives in danger, for example domestic violence, criminal activity, threats from others and witnessing certain incidents. In such circumstances relocation of the family or individual to another area may be the most appropriate way to remove or minimise that risk. Formalised relocation of families is co-ordinated and supported by the UK Protected Persons Service (UKPPS).

When relocation occurs and there is a child / children or an adult with care and support needs (as defined by the 2014 Care Act) within the family, there must be a co-ordinated approach to proportionate information sharing. This will ensure that those families and / or individuals receive the right support and access to services, without increasing their risk. Risks is increased when service providers within the family's previous location become aware of the new location, therefore to ensure the risk is not increased, all information exchange is co-ordinated through a Single Point of Contact (SPOC).

As part of the support for families and individuals relocating, the UKPPS provide support where it is not readily available locally through standard channels such as counselling for those individuals where it is considered appropriate.

Where there are specialist services being provided for a child or an adult with care and support needs (for example social care support) the fact that the family or individual are relocating due to a significant threat should not impact on decisions made to support the family / individual. The relocation in itself is designed to remove the risk, and practitioners do not need to know the reasons for relocation as they will not impact on the current situation. Assessments and provision of services should be undertaken as for any family / individual taking into account current risks and strengths.

2. Managing the Arrival / Departure of Families who are Relocating due to Risk

The following workflows outline the processes for managing the arrival / departure of families who are relocating due to risk.

2.1 Arrival of a family

The Director of Childrens Services (DCS) and / or Director of Adult Social Services (DASS) or a designated person, are informed by the UKPPS when a family is relocating into their area. They will not be informed where from, or the reasons for the relocation other than to remove or minimise a significant risk to the family / individual. Within this meeting, the DCS / DASS will establish any prior service or agency needs, including the provision of universal (e.g. Education) and specialist (e.g. Social Care) services which should be continued once the family / individual has relocated. The DCS and / or DASS will be informed as to who the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) is for the UKPPS, and should identify and allocate a Local Authority Single Point of Contact (SPOC). The SPOCs will manage the information sharing process and act as a conduit between the services within the two areas.

Based on identified need for services, the Local Authority SPOC will liaise with services in relation to required information / documentation and request this from the UKPPS SPOC. The UKPPS SPOC will then liaise with services within the previous authority and obtain sanitised copies of information / documentation and pass through to the new authority via the Local Authority SPOC. The Local Authority SPOC should keep a record of requested information and documents and when these have been received, along with records of when they have been passed onto relevant agencies. These records should be kept confidential and should not identify the Local Authority area where records are coming from.

3. Managing the Arrival of Families who are Relocating due to Risk - Workflow Process

Click here to see a flowchart showing the work flow process for managing the arrival of families who are relocating due to risk.

4. Departure of a Family

The Director of Childrens Services (DCS) and / or Director of Adult Social Care (DASS) or a designated person, will be informed by the UKPPS when a family is relocating out of their area. They will not be informed where to, or told the reasons for the relocation other than to remove or minimise a significant risk to the family / individual. The DCS / DASS will establish any current service or agency needs, including the provision of universal (e.g. Education) and specialist (e.g. Social Care) services which should continue after relocation. The DCS and / or DASS will be informed as to who the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) is for the UKPPS, and should identify and allocate a Local Authority Single Point of Contact (SPOC). The SPOCS will manage the information sharing process and act as a conduit between the services within the two areas.

Based on identified need for services, the receiving authority will request information / documentation via the UKPPS SPOC. The Local Authority SPOC will liaise with services in relation to gathering the required information / documentation, and provide this to the UKPPS SPOC who will sanitise this prior to passing on. The UKPPS SPOC will then liaise with services within the previous authority and obtain sanitised copies of information / documentation and pass through to the new authority via the Local Authority SPOC. In addition the Local Authority SPOC may also identify information / documentation which are deemed useful to the receiving authority. In such cases this should then be collated and passed to the UKPPS SPOC. The Local Authority SPOC should keep a record of requested information and documents and when these have been passed on. These records should be kept confidential and should not identify the Local Authority area where records are going to.

Should a family unit who is relocating have both children and an adult with care and support needs within it, consideration should be given for a joint meeting with the DCS and DASS, the identification of a single Local Authority SPOC and undertaking these processes in tandem, and within a Think Family / Work Family approach.

5. Managing the Departure of Families who are Relocating due to Risk – Workflow Process

Click here to see a flowchart showing the work flow process for managing the departure of families who are relocating due to risk.

6. Key Points for Practitioners

• If you have any concerns that the person or family are self-compromising their security discuss this initially with the Local Authority SPOC who will discuss this with the nominated UKPPS SPOC – consideration will be given for the risk of the individual / family;
• Relocation of a family / individual is undertaken to eliminate risk – if a family has relocated the risk should be considered as having been appropriately managed, and therefore should not affect assessment and decision making processes. The reason for relocation should not affect your assessment / decision making processes – you do not need to know why a family / individual has been relocated;
• All correspondence and information exchange should be via the Local Authority SPOC, who will liaise with the UKPPS SPOC – practitioners should not attempt to make contact with the old (or new) local authority, or services within it (this will increase the risk again for the family);
• All information / documentation exchanges should be sanitised so as not to identify a family / individuals location (past or present);
• Recording in relation to the relocation of a family or individual should be in line with guidance;
• If you have concerns that your actions as a practitioner have compromised an individual or family's security discuss this initially with the Local Authority SPOC who will discuss this with the nominated UKPPS SPOC – consideration will be given for the risk of the individual / family as well as the practitioners;
• If an individual discloses that they are a relocated person (as an individual or their family) this should be raised with the Local Authority SPOC who can check and if necessary liaise with the UKPPS Central Bureau - consideration will be given for the risk of the individual / family.
• The involvement of the UKPPS with the person or family does not negate the need for appropriate safeguarding support.

To determine who the Local Authority SPOC is please contact the office of the DCS or the office of the DASS.

7. Baseline Checklist of Information Required from / by the Local Authority Single Point of Contact (SPOC)

• Health records (including Health Visiting / School Nursing / Community Support, Mental Health records);
• Nursery record (including safeguarding file);
• School records (including safeguarding file);
• Childrens social work records (including CIN / CP plans);
• Adult Social care records (including needs assessments, care plans);
• MARAC records / plans;
• Additional records as appropriate.

8. Standards for meeting between UK Protected Persons Services (UKPSS) and Director of Children's Services (DCS) and Director of Adult Social Services (ADSS)

• Meeting to take place as soon as possible after relocation has been agreed;
• UKPPS and Local Authority SPOC to be identified;
• Flag system to be implemented on all individual records detailing further information available and who to contact for information (Local Authority SPOC).